Community
15 January, 2025
2024, the year that was
THIS week we take a look back at some of the news stories, events and photos that shaped the western district in 2024 and appeared in the pages of the Cobden Timboon Coast Times.
January
A record amount was raised for charity at the annual Guzzlers Car Club’s Prison Break event. Just about anything with an engine lined Camp Cooriemungle for the seventh annual Prison Break weekend.
Around 350 people took the phrase ‘run away and join the circus’ quite seriously when Spinfest to the region returned. Camp Cooriemungle was a hive of activity as people from as far away as South Australia flocked to learn circus skills and tricks at Spin Circus Festival 2024 – affectionately nicknamed Spinfest.
Country Fire Authority units from across the region turned out to a shed ingulfed in flames in the early hours one Friday morning.
Residents at Cobdenhealth were evacuated following a hazmat incident caused by chemicals mixing.
Timboon played its role in a national milestone as parkrun welcome its millionth different participant.
Police appealed for witnesses after a vehicle was torched in Ecklin South.
February
Cobden’s Peter Rohan received a National Emergency Medal for his high-altitude role in battling the devastating bushfires of 2019-2020.
Results of an 18-month trial have shown blue green algae issues in Lake Bullen Merri have not been solved.
Local Prep/Foundation students officially put on their school uniforms for the first time. Fifty-one local youngsters were greeted by the school bell across as they started their schooling years.
Locals out and about in Timboon might have noticed a new addition to the township. The town’s first mural was completed was a colourful addition to the town and will form part of the Timboon Mural Trail.
Works started on a new lookout in the Port Campbell National Park which will bring visitors up close to the waters of the Southern Ocean. Wrapping around ‘The Blowhole’, at the popular Loch Ard Gorge precinct, the lookout provides a new experience for the millions of people who visit the Port Campbell National Park.
Cobdenhealth is no stranger to visitors, however one in particular left an impression. A wallaby made its way inside the front reception area and hallways before making a speedy exit
Swimmers at Peterborough again benefited from volunteer lifeguards over the summer. For the second year, an outpost patrol was based in Peterborough thanks to the efforts of Port Campbell Surf Life Saving Club volunteers.
Cobden Technical School looks set to have a bright future with designs released for more than $6.5 million in upgrades.
Arson investigators were called to investigate a fire at Simpson which razed the former Simpson Scout Hall.
The site of the Fiji shipwreck – located near Wreck Beach, Gellibrand Lower - has been added to the Victorian Heritage Register. More than 130 years after the ship was wrecked the landscape which includes the wreck site, beach, anchor monument, headstone and gravesite has been heritage listed.
Cobden and Camperdown Community Bank welcomed a new branch manager – Jasmine Bakic.
March
Cobden and district residents can now access a new justice of the peace (JP) service from within the Cobden Visitor Information Centre.
The 1st Cobden Scouts Group received a boost with Cobden Uniting Church Adult Fellowship secretary Margaret Matthews presenting the group with a cheque for $500.
A two-lot subdivision planning permit application divided opinions among Corangamite Shire Council. Councillors ultimately voted to refuse the planning permit application which sought approval for a two-lot subdivision at Timboon Peterborough Road.
Family fun was on the agenda at the annual Heytesbury Show with hundreds flocking to see what was on offer.
Emergency services were called to a fully laden cement truck which rolled on the Cobden-Port Campbell Road.
After more than a decade as Cobden Technical School’s principal, Rohan Keert announced he would be moving on from the school.
For much of his life, Simpson’s Alf Frith has volunteered in a variety of clubs and organisations. He notched up a special milestone with parkrun, and officially volunteered more than 100 times at the weekly free event.
The South Western District Restoration Group vintage rally showed off some of the nation’s history. Displays of vehicles, machinery and more awaited those who braved the hot weather to attend the 48th annual rally.
Simpson and District Lions Club members marked a special milestone with members gathering to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the club’s charter.
Can the dairy and timber industries co-exist in prime farmland areas such as the Heytesbury district? That was the question asked at the Simpson Recreation Reserve when almost 200 concerned community members people turned out in Simpson to discuss the timber industry.
Timboon was grooving to the music at the annual TRACKS Music Festival when over 1000 people attending.
Cobden locals might have noticed more than a few iconic cars around town with more than 100 Italian-inspired vehicles called in to the South West Kart Club to complete a time trial as part of Targa Classica 2024.
Port Campbell was buzzing with Crayfest activities attracting strong crowds with an estimated 2000 people attending.
April
Visitors to Port Campbell might have noticed a flurry of activity on the foreshore. Landscapers marked out the next series of garden bed walls and fenced off the centre of the foreshore after completing the first section at the Lord Street end.
Fonterra Australia helped to preserve more than 135 years of dairy history through funding to the Cobden and District Historical Society.
Emergency services were called to a head-on collision between two vehicles near Simpson. Cobden Police Leading Senior Constable Rachel Wass said the incident involved a truck and car.
Timboon based child care service Kardinia Early Learning informed parents the service would cease in June in a shock announcement.
Seventy people helped commemorate and restore a significant piece of local history in Timboon at the unveiling of the replacement of the original Timboon World War I honor board – which was lost when fire destroyed the Timboon hall in 1963.
There were smiles all round at Simpson Primary School for Foodbank Food Fight. School principal Melissa Berry said the day was an initiative of the school’s student leaders working with the school parent’s club to promote health and wellbeing
For at least the last 27 years Timboon Cruisers have pushed the peddles in the Murray to Moyne Cycling Relay during April to raise important funds for Timboon and District Healthcare Service (TDHS) and this year was no different.
Police maintained a heavy presence in Cobden after an alleged shooting. A man was arrested after an alleged ramming incident where shots were reportedly fired in Cobden.
An increase in timber plantations has prompted Corangamite Shire Council to weigh up the effect on valuable agricultural land. At its April meeting, council released a discussion paper to spark community conversation about current and future land use change.
May
A group of Timboon P-12 School students can now consider themselves published authors after the official launch of Curdies’ Tales: Stories of the river by its people’.
Residents across the region stood shoulder to shoulder in commemoration of the soldiers who served, fought and died in defence of the nation at Anzac Day ceremonies.
A group of families found a safe space to grow and connect with new people in Port Campbell. Creative Minds Art and Support see’s local neurodivergent children and teens share a weekly art class.
Cobdenhealth board of management announced the health service would part ways with Leading Healthcare and interim chief executive officer Adam Sevdalis.
There were more than six million reasons to smile in the Cobden community, with the State Budget revealing a $6.6 million in funding for the Cobden Technical School.
The Twelve Apostles Precinct Redevelopment moved towards construction phase with the search beginning for the right builder to bring the much-anticipated Visitor Experience Centre to life.
Timboon parkrun celebrated a special milestone – marking its seventh birthday. Event director Kate Makin said the birthday celebrations were a success with about 50 people taking party, the majority of who arrived dressed in their pyjamas.
Port Campbell Surf Life Saving Club members gathered to celebrate another busy year for the club. Club captain Darcy Tribe said the annual dinner was held celebrating the club’s achievement’s in the past 12 months.
Fonterra’s Western Star™ Chef’s Choice Unsalted Cultured Butter took home first place as Best in Class Butter at the 2024 World Cheese Championship Contest in Wisconsin the US.
Timboon Opportunity Shop (TOPS) continued to play a key contributor in the wider community. TOPS coordinator Brenda Parfett said the shop had recently distributed $50,000 to the community.
June
There were smiles all round as Cobden Cub Sam Gould received a special presentation. Sam was presented with the Grey Wolf Award, which is the highest award in the Cub Scout section.
The Timboon Clinic welcomed a new face to the staff. Dr Mariya Mathew was busy getting to know the Timboon community after moving to the practice.
After winning silver in 2021 and 2022, Timboon went for gold in 2024 with some help from Corangamite Shire residents. Timboon was one of five finalists in the Top Tiny Tourism Town (population under 1500) category.
The Victorian Government gave its approval for the first new gas extraction project in the south west in a decade. Beach Energy Limited was given the green light for its plan to supply gas from an offshore field near Port Campbell.
Cobden Primary School went a little blue for a good cause with students dressed in blue to help raise money for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) research.
Port Campbell Surf Life Saving Club’s David McKenzie was recognised for 61 years of service to the community. He was awarded the Emergency Services Medal to recognise his six-decade long contribution to Victoria’s lifesaving movement.
Hundreds of items of handknitted clothing and blankets made their way to Melbourne to support those in need. Since 2009 members of the Cobden Conference of St Vincent De Paul have been supplying knitted items to Brother Doug Wallace in Melbourne.
The Cobden Walking Group celebrated a special milestone with members gathering at the Cobden Golf Club to celebrate the group’s 29th birthday.
Braving the chilly waters, a group of keen locals swam from the Port Campbell jetty to the beach to mark the winter solstice. The group – some in wetsuits, while others just in a bathers – marked the occasion with the frigid swim on June 23.
The bodies of two people were located on a walking track near Wreck Beach. The deceased were a 78-year-old man and 74-year-old woman who were both from the Surf Coast Shire area.
July
A survey undertaken by the Curdies River Coordinating Committee has revealed strong community attachment to the Curdies River and a desire to see it protected.
Shoppers in Cobden might have noticed a new look in Curdie Street. In conjunction with recent streetscape works in Cobden four new decorative bench seats have been installed at the Curdie Street and Victoria Street intersection in the town.
After extensive community consultation, Corangamite Shire Council drafted a Precinct Plan to design a welcoming and attractive Timboon town centre. Mayor and project working group chair Kate Makin said the plan was a visual urban design framework for the town’s public spaces.
The end of an era is approaching for Ronnie and Beverley Murrihy. The couple, who are believed to be the last of the original Heytesbury Settlement settlers, sold their property.
Fonterra marked 30 years since the Cobden site first fired up its state-of-the-art milk dryer for production. To celebrate, Fonterra’s Cobden team recognised the milestone, with stories from its first three decades of operation, as well as a birthday cake.
Victoria’s world-famous Twelve Apostles are ready to welcome millions of visitors to a new experience following completion of a spectacular viewing platform overlooking the iconic rock formations.
The future looks bright for Timboon Motors with the business signing on a new car line. The local business is now dealing Indian-based Mahindra vehicles, which are continuing to grow in popularity.
Up to 170 new housing blocks could be on the way for Cobden. A planning permit application was lodged with the Corangamite Shire Council for a staged multi-lot subdivision of land on the Cobden-Stonyford Road.
One-hundred groups, organisations and committees across Corangamite Shire shared in more than $220,000 in council funding.
It was business as usual for Timboon Opportunity Shop (TOPS) volunteers, with news the shop building is up for sale. TOPS co-ordinator Brenda Parfett said she wanted to assure the community the shop was not closing.
Timboon took out the gold medal for the TAC Victorian “Top Tiny Tourism Town” for this year.The awards recognise and reward towns which demonstrate a strong commitment to tourism and to increasing visitation to the destination
August
Following 12 months of campaigning for upgrades, a section of road near Simpson saw repair works completed. The stretch of road on the outskirts of Simpson on Cobden-Lavers Hill Road saw speeds reduced to 60 kilometres following a series of accidents.
Simpson Primary School Prep students celebrated a special milestone. The students, who dressed up as elderly people for school, marked 100 days of their education.
The construction of a new bore at the Port Campbell Water Treatment Plant was underway. Wannon Water is drilling the bore to provide additional security of supply to customers in Port Campbell, Timboon, Peterborough and at the 12 Apostles Visitor Centre.
A humble bingo caller was hailed a hero, springing into action to save the life of one of his players when she suffered a cardiac arrest mid-game.
Visitors to Timboon will be able to enjoy easier access to the town’s award-winning gourmet products – with a new footbridge across Power Creek now complete.
Key upgrades to two bridges along the popular Camperdown-Timboon Rail Trail got under way.
More than 40 district residents met to review Progressing Cobden’s governance and operations. Led by guest facilitator Adam Jenkins, the forum addressed questions circulated in publicity prior to the event.
Timboon P-12 School students could have been forgiven for thinking they had entered the set of Shark Tank.
Year 5/6 information and communication technology students spent time creating a number of inventions which they then pitched at the inaugural Shark Tank Expo.
September
Local business Great Ocean Road Cordial Syrups had a successful showing at the 2024 Melbourne Royal Food Awards. Business manager Anne Rosolin said she received two accolades at the awards.
Thirty lucky Port Campbell shoppers will get $50 off their purchases thanks to a Golden Ticket from Corangamite Shire.
A new garbage compactor is improving safety and efficiency at Corangamite Regional Landfill. The 52-tonne TANA H520 Compactor cost $1.75 million after the $176,000 trade-in on the old compactor, and is expected to operate for 1500-2000 hours a year for at least eight years.
The Great Ocean Road was closed in both directions between Princetown Road and Fords Road due to significant flooding caused by a storm surge which blocked the mouth of a nearby creek.
The Cobden community is safer thanks to a donation from the Cobden and Camperdown Community Bank. The Cobden Senior Citizens Club received funding to purchase a defibrillator which was installed at the front entrance of the Cobden Senior Citizens building at the corner of Parrott Street and Victoria Street in Cobden.
Poor weather didn’t put a dampener on community spirit in Port Campbell. A community event was held to celebrate the grand opening of the new-look Port Campbell foreshore.
The Cobden and District Historical Society is making research even easier for its members and the wider community thanks to a grant.
The future has arrived in Timboon. Popes Timboon bus drivers were busy trialling a new electric bus, with the results proving positive.
From lightning bolts to near misses and many smiles in between, Cobden Primary School traffic crossing supervisor Sue Ralph has seen it all in her 40 years on the job.
October
An artificial river mouth opening at Peterborough saw the water levels drop by more than 1.3 metres.
Eight local apprentices were given a boost to their careers thanks to the Cobden and Camperdown Community Bank.
Gamers were in seventh heaven at a free video game session in Simpson over the school holidays, which provided youth in the region the perfect opportunity to connect with likeminded peers.
Cobden Primary School students and staff hosted a special celebration when the famous Daniher’s Drive team rolled into Cobden.
A crowdfunding campaign was launched in a bid to bring sport and community use back to the South Purrumbete oval - 25 years after it was last used.
Cobden Miniature Railway celebrated a historic 30 years, drawing hundreds of visitors from far and wide.
Cobden Coaches driver Barry Cover-dale stepped in to retirement after more than 50 years getting students safely to and from school.
November
A temporary site was set up next to the Timboon Transfer station while it undergoes a $700,000 upgrade to improve safety, efficiency and convenience
Works to replace the single lane 80-year-old bridge over the Gellibrand River at Old Coach Road Princetown were completed.
It is not often you see a fairy godmother, near a FarmBot, opposite a Rube Goldberg machine. The annual Timboon Agriculture Project (TAP’s) On curriculum expo had it all and more for students, teachers and visitors.
Residents across the region paused for a moment at services across the district to pay their respects to the servicemen and women who served in war.
Lake Elingamite Ward councillor Kate Makin was elected to serve a second consecutive term as Corangamite Shire’s mayor during a contentious meeting.
The weather failed to dampen spirits at the first annual Cobden Swap Meet and Car Show.
A visit to Cobdenhealth to meet with residents has sparked a new passion in a group of Cobden Technical School students. Over a number of weeks students in the VCE VM Pers-onal Development Skills class spent time interacting with residents at Cobdenhealth.
The history of one of the area’s most iconic properties was celebrated.Hetebsury House owners Kathryn and Andrew Stubbings threw open the doors to the property, encouraging residents to share their memories of the site.
Timboon and district locals had the chance to make Christmas a little bit brighter for those in need. Ray White Rural Timboon was again taking part in Ray White’s annual Christmas charity drive a Little Ray of Giving.
Twenty deceased penguins were found at the Twelve Apostles Beach with fox prints nearby.
December
Loch Ard Gorge will remain closed this summer as the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority continues to evaluate options for the iconic site.
The South West Kart Club again hosted an internationally competitive race team over two days. The Monash Motorsport team again spent time at the track perfecting their vehicle.
Curdie Street in Cobden got a new piece of art. Artist Stacey Williams completed a live painting on the outside of the temporary building site at the new Hampden Vet premises.
The inaugural Graze the Day event in Timboon saw more than 1000 people enjoying what was on offer. Festival-goers were treated to about 40 food, beverage and art stalls featuring regional producers from the Great Ocean Road region.
Simpson Primary School students in grade 2 to 6 learnt the importance of cyber safety. Students had a visit from Warrnambool Police senior constables John Keats and Brook Pollock, who spoke about cyberbullying.
Long-serving Simpson Country Fire Authority (CFA) members had their commitment recognised. An awards presentation was held which saw a number of brigade members receive medals and awards.
As landowners prepare their properties for the approaching bushfire season, Princetown has a new asset to help keep the public safe. Princetown Country Fire Authority (CFA), community and Corangamite Shire Council partnered to commission a new a firefighting water supply tank at the entrance to town.
Tandarook House in Cobden was given a new lease of life after the Salvation Army Housing Victoria (SAHV) saw the site completely renovated over the past 12 months.
The Cobden community turned out with festive cheer for the annual Christmas-On-Apex event. Despite the warm weather residents took up the opportunity to celebrate as a community ahead of Christmas.
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